Air cushion



March 26, 1929. Q B CARLSON 1,706,560

AIR CUSHION Filed March 5., 1925 Mar. 25, V .y i unirse STAT PATENT orr'lce.

oscAR B. CARLSON, oF OAK `PARK, ILLINOIS.

- l AIR CUSHION.

Application filed March 5,'1'925. Serial No,`1,3,036.

This intention relates to air mattresses or indicated at 12 and 13. Such a construction4 yother cushions ot the inflatable type, and the will, of course, result in a' double thickness primary object ot this invention isto provide of webbngat each corner 15 thus providing a novel construction for an inflatable air additional"strength which, of Course, is de- G0 5 cushion or mattress, of such a character that sirable. In turning the edge` bands in the weight placed upon one part will not effect manner described, there will ot course, be a bulging of the cushion in another part. Y loose ear 14 (Fig. 4) of webbing formed on In attaining thisl object, I provide, within the side faces of the cushion. This ear may a suitable' air-tight envelope, a reinforcing be flattenedout and sewed down tothe parts G5 structure composed of separate series of trans- 10 and12 as illustrated at 16 in Fig. 4. Likeverse and longitudinal bands of inelastic mawise theear may be cut away by a V-shaped terial spaced apart uniformly with relatively cut and the cut edges 17 and 18 (Fig. 5) be short intervals between them. Opposed netsewed together as shown at 19 in Fig. 5. Or, works are thus formed with their intersecotherwise, the ear may be cut into by a 1,5 tiene ti-ranged oppositely so that they may be straightV cut land the ends 20 and 21 (Fig. 3)

secured together at `snchintersections by overlapped and'sewed, together as shown means of vertical stays whereby effectively to atV 22 in Fig. 3. resist distortion ot the mattress in use. The aboveconstruction thus providesa plu-` A general object is to provide a mattress rality of strips at the edge of the cushion "0 oi? such a character thatit maybe manufaccomprising the corners 15 and portions of the tured on a practical and economical basis. bands and 7. According to the thickness In the drawings, Figure 1 illustratesin ot themattress,additionalreinforcing means pel-Spedi@ an air cushion or mattress, a pormay beput around these strips. Such a contion et the mattress covering being shown struction is here shown as a single band 23 S0 removed to illustrate the preferred form of about the edge or side faces ofthe cushion reinforcement. secured to the vertical strips. c

Fig. 2 is a detail cross section of the mat- By reason of the above described constructress taken substantially on the line 2-2 of tion the two faces will'present a duplicating 1 showing the character and method of array of squares on thetop and bottom ot 559 securing the cross stays. c the mattress. The overlying or opposing in- Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail views showinor tersections, as tor example, 24 and 25 (Fig. 2) various methods for arranging the networ* are connected together by flexible stays 2G at the corners. preferably of webbing similar to the bands In the drawings, there is shown a series 6 and7or of other ynon-elastic material. The J0 e5 ot bands G which run longitudinally about stays 26`are made the same length as the edge the cushion preferably in equally spaced rela-` strips When it iS desired that the cushion astion, A similar series ot bands 7 run trans- Sinne a truly box shape. Of course, any deversely around the cushion in equally spaced sii-ed shape may be produced.

relation. The series of bands 6 and the series The method of securing the stay strips 26 9o o ci hands 7 are reterabl each arranl `ed with ma f var in a number ot' ractical wa s each y Y c P y the saine spacing distance whereby a pluralof which is suitable to veffect the desired ity of squares is formed by their intersections. strength for tension in the connection of the The material ot the bands is preferably oi stays to the bands. In Fig. 2 I illusti'ate one non-elastic 'fabric such as webbing. 7 method ot doing this. The longitudinal 100 8.5 il, variety oit arrangements may be used at bands 6 in the present instance lie on top or the edges and orners. Herein, the edge outside ot' the transverse bands 7. Each stay bands are part of the series 6 and 7, but are 26 has its ends 27 and 28 interposed between adapted to provide a suitable edge. At the the intersecting bands so that the edge 29 of ed'rc ot the cushion the longitudinal edge the band 7 supports the fold 30 in the stay 26. 105 b nds 3 are turned to form a right-angular Stitches 31 pass through the two bands Gand strip having the part 9 at the large faces of 7 and the ends of stay 26 thus securing the the cushion and the part 10 at the side or edge parts firmly together into a rigid structure. faces as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The trans- Of course, the band 23 is also stitched to the verse series of bands likewise has its edge bands6and7 at theintersections 32, the band 110 bands 11 similarly turned to provide parts 23 being outside the side strips. lying on rectangular faces of the cushion as This supporting network of webbing is used as a base upon which an airtight material 33 is secured, preferably by sewingI the material to each strip support all over the structure. The material 33 is sewed together forming a Closed envelope in any desired manner. The stitchings and seams vin Vthe airtight envelope 33 are treated to ensure nonleakage at these points. An air valve 34 is provided by which inflation and deflation may be accomplished.

The outside of the air envelope is suitably covered as by an outside coveringl material 35. This construction provides a cushion which is so formed that expansion o'l' the same cannot take place beyond the limitsset by the lengths oit the non-elastic supporting` webbing. Vilhen weight is placed on the cushion at any1 loca-l point the compression is transmitted equally to the interior oi. the envelope but no bulging will take place in the cushion because of the inability oi the material to expand.

In addition to the structure above dcscribed, l ma;v provide other supports midway through the cushion from edge to edge. in the present instance these are strips which are substantially halt the Width ol' the outer strips 6 and 7 and which are parallel to strips 6 and 7. These do not appear in Fig. l because oft the confusion o1- lines representing the outside bands, but are shown in Fig'. 2 in the preferred and practical relationship to the remainder of the network. rlransversely of the cushion parallel with the bands 7 are vertically disposed strips 36 sewed at 37 to the vertical stays 26. The strips 36 in the present instance lie below 'the median plane of the cushion. Above the median plane are longitudinal stays or strips 38 lying` in verticai planes adjacent the edges ot the vertical stays 2G. A right angled insert 39 is sewed at 40 to the strip 38 anc at il to the vertical stay 26.

Fig'. 3 shows one way in which the end 42 et strip 3S may be secured between the vertical part of: the strip 6 and the outside edge band 23. Likewise, Fig. 5 shows how the end i3 of the band 36 mayv be secured between the band 23 and the vertical portion of the band '7. Because the bands 36 and 38 are respectively below and above the median plane of the cushion, it is obvious that it is advantageous to provide these bands substantially half as wide as the outside strips forming` the network. Of course, it will be understood that this construction can be varied so as to 'provide any other form o1 mid-staying;` webs for the edges of the cushion to prevent bulging thereof.

-While the construction herein illustrated has been shown and described somewhat in de tad, it :is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the full details et' construction but that other en'ibodiments ot the invention are contemplated as will be more apparent from the scope or' the appended claim.

l: claim my invention:

A pneumatic mattress comprising., in combina-tion, a substantially rectangular inliatable envelope hawing` top, bottom vand edge walls, and a reinforcing` structure enclosed. within said easingV adapted to hold it against distortion when intlated, said structure coinprising two series or" bands within said envelope each adapted in the inflated condition of the envelope to 'term a substantially rectangular loop7 the bands of one series being' equi distantly spaced 'apart and disposed at right angles to the bands of the other series which are similarly spaced whereby to term networks upon the inner surfaces oi: the bottoni and top walls o1Q the envelope and vertical stays at the inner surtacesf theedge walls oi the envelope, two series ol perpendicular-ly disposed reinforcing' strips torn'iine; a third network intermediate the upper and lower networks7 the ends of the strips oit the last mentioned series being secured to the vertical stays formed at the opposite ends of each ot said bands adcitional reintorcing` strips extending along,` the upper and lower corners oiE the envelope and connecting said bands. and reinforcing` stay strips extending up and down within the interior of the envelope a: d eennecting` the three networks, all of said liiands and strips being' made oi itlat strips of srbstantially nonelastie material.

In testimony whereof, have hereunto aI"- fixed my signature.

osoan e. oar-Leon 

